Storms
by BritishIsBetter639
Summary: A storm can bring in anything; seaweed, umbrellas, hats, and sometimes people that can change your life. Set before Curse of the Black Pearl. Eventual JN/OC


The sea: it can take a man's life or give it to him. It can be as calm as a sleeping child one minuet and turning into to a roaring tempest the next. It doesn't care who a person is or what they've done. The sea won't hesitate to throw anyone against the rocks or drown them in its clutches. The sea is wild, unpredictable, dangerous and beautiful. It has drawn men to it for thousands of years and will continue to do so for a thousand more. Despite the warnings from loved ones, friends, and their own minds, men will always go to the sea.

Not so long ago and not so far away the ship and crew of _The Phoenix _went to the sea and were now facing the consequences.

"McClain," Captain Roberts call over the roaring winds and rain, "help Ericson with the sail, and tell Thomas to get those cannon lines secure!"

"Yes, sir," his first mate answered back, "but what about the goods?"

"Never mind that, just get those sails up!"

McClain gave his Captain a salute and went running toward the mast.

It was hard for him to balance as water poured over the sides of the ship. _The Phoenix_ had weathered storms but nothing like this. She tossed and turned, and McClain was starting the wonder if she would roll right over. He forgot this however when he found the person he was looking for.

"Thomas," he called over the storm, Thomas didn't hear him. "Miss Thomas!" he called louder this time.

"Eye sir," the young woman turned toward him.

"Captain wants you to tie those cannon lines nice and tight. We're in for one hell of a night."

"Eye sir, I've been doing that."

McClain looked down to see that Caroline had in fact been tying the cannons before he interrupted.

"We'll," he said slightly flustered, "get back to work then." She gave him a mock salute and continued to work.

McClain muttered something about youth today as he made his way to the mast. Caroline Thomas was the youngest of their crew at eighteen and most, including him, wondered why the Captain had let this woman onto their ship. God only knew if they lived through this the Captain and Caroline would be getting a lot of grief over bad luck. There were some rumors that it was a favor to Caroline's late mother; a particular favorite of Captain Roberts in Tortuga. McClain let this go however, Roberts was his closest and dearest friend and if he wanted Thomas aboard so be it. She pulled her own weight like any other man on the ship, and listened when it was important so McClain didn't have a problem with the arrangement.

The first mate climbed the mast to find Michael Ericson, a not so young man of thirty-seven, balancing with almost perfect grace on top of the sail getting it secure.

"What brings you up here Mr. McClain," Ericson asked in a thick Scottish accent.

"Making sure you don't get killed, Captains orders. Otherwise, I don't think anyone would have missed you," he replied making his way toward the Scotsman.

"I would be careful about what you say up here sir," Ericson told him, "who knows what might happen."

"Ha, ha," was McClain only sarcastic reply.

As he looked down the first mate saw that it looked as bad as it was. The crew were like little ants running around the deck as the storm knocked them from side to side. From where he was sitting he could see the Captain trying to keep his beloved ship on course. Caroline was shouting orders to some of the crew getting the cannons secure. Others were running around trying to make sure the water and food didn't fall over board and there was one person, surely Avery, trying to keep the rum from the clutches of the sea.

A sudden wind brought him back to reality as he helped Ericson with the line. God only knew that he wasn't young as his once was so McClain had to keep his wits about him on the mast. They worked as quickly as they could, but it was hard to see through the heavy rain and the rope kept on slipping in their hands. So focused they didn't see the huge wave heading their way.

The wave hit and McClain only just held on the mast as _The Phoenix_ almost rolled over on impact. Out of the corner of his eye he saw Ericson standing up on his feet, holding a rope for balance and yelling at the heavens like a mad man.

"He's crazy;" McClain thought to himself, "but what you expect from a Scotsman."

No sooner had he thought this, another wave hit and he felt his grip begin to slip. He was suddenly sliding over the edge with no rope to grab. He was dead, he knew it. He was starting to fall. The pit of his stomach was rising. He was going down. Suddenly a hand stopped him. McClain looked up to see Ericson grabbing his hand with a look of relief in his eyes. With Ericson's help McClain was pulled back onto the mast. Slightly out of breath, the first mate clung onto the sail was if it were life as Ericson got back to work.

"Like I said sir, you don't know what might happen," Michael stated grinning at him madly.

McClain rolled his eyes and thanked whoever was out there that he was alive. He looked down at the crew again to see that they were all in commotion. One of the cannon lines had gotten loose and the men were hurrying to get it back.

"Ericson," he yelled," I'm going down."

"Yes sir," the Scotsman yelled back, "don't worry I've got her."

McClain nodded, and head back down to the deck of the ship. The men were scattered. McClain looked to his Captain for orders but by the look of things he was a little preoccupied.

"Where was Caroline, she was the one in charge of the cannons," he thought, looking around the deck.

It was then he noticed that the men weren't just scattered randomly, they were looking for a life line. A sick feeling of dread fell on him as he grabbed the first man he saw. It was Avery; damn man was drunk in the middle of a storm.

"Avery!" he yelled. He saw the man develop a look of panic on his face.

"Yes sir."

"What's going on?"

"Man's fallen over board."

"Which man?"

The drunk little man looked down as if trying to remember.

"I said," McClain said irritated shaking Avery a bit, "which man?"

"Don't know sir, I was elsewhere when it happened."

Frustrated McClain threw him down on the ground and went toward the edge of the ship where most of the men were gathered. Looking out into the sea he couldn't see anyone out there, which wasn't a surprise.

"Whoever is out there is most likely in Davy Jones locker by now," he said to the crew, making them turn to him. "There's nothing we can do, O'Connell, Finnegan get that cannon secure."

"But sir…" O'Connell protested.

"No buts, I'm sorry but he's gone."

"It wasn't a he McClain," Finnegan corrected angrily.

"What?"

"It was Caroline sir," O'Connell intervened; it looked like Finnegan was about to kill the first mate, "she's the one that fell overboard."

McClain stood there for a moment astonished. With all from the commotion of the crew, the wind and the rain none of them heard the creaks of the mast. None of them heard their captain's cries of warning and none of them saw the final wave that toppled them over.

**A/N Please tell me what you think. Review are life and I will hold chapters hostage if I don't get any. :)**


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